THE desire of primary teachers for early implementation of the teachers' pay and conditions package was a priority issue, the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, has said. The Irish National Teachers Organisation has voted in favour of the £66.7 million package, but the other two teachers' unions have rejected it.
The Minister told delegates at the INTO's annual congress that "this has created a complex situation because primary and post primary teachers have a common system of salary and allowances". She said that she "attached importance" to the common scale, as did teachers.
She said there was a need for calm consideration of the issues concerning the INTO and the other unions, and this was what she had proposed would take place in the facilitation process. The Minister assured delegates that her commitment was to effecting change by agreement and negotiation rather than by confrontation. "We could well be at a critical crossroads, and it is vital that we take the correct turn," she said.
The polite reception which Ms Breathnach received turned to applause when she revealed details of a proposed welfare service for teachers. The scheme would operate initially in Dublin city and county, Cork city and county and Cos Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Some 10 employee assistance officers would be appointed and the pilot scheme would be in place by next September, she said.
The applause from the floor was prolonged when she indicated that appropriate pension increases under the PCW would be applied to teachers who are on pension although the precise format had yet to be worked out. One of the options under consideration, an increase of 3 per cent, was proposed by the INTO.
Addressing the 850 delegates, one fifth of whom were from Northern Ireland, she said that from September, primary teachers who had trained in Northern Ireland would be eligible for appointment in primary schools in the Republic. They would be assisted in acquiring the necessary qualification in the Irish language within two years.
There has been criticism in the past of the high standard demanded by the Irish examination. However, she said the syllabus for these courses and the examination would be revised to "reflect the everyday linguistic demands on a primary teacher who is teaching Irish".